Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
Toledo
Lady Raiders Head to Toledo for WNIT Quarterfinals on Monday
3/27/2022 9:04:00 AM | Women's Basketball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Lady Raiders have advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Women's NIT and will face Toledo at 6:00 p.m. CT in Toledo, Ohio.
Middle Tennessee women's basketball (26-7, 14-4) has made its way to the quarterfinals of the WNIT for the second time in program history after defeating Vanderbilt 55-53 in the third round of the 2022 WNIT. Now, the Lady Raiders are tasked with a tough Toledo (29-5) opponent that boasts a near-perfect 14-1 record at home in Savage Arena. With the eighth-best win-loss percentage in the nation at 85.3%, the Toledo Rockets could be the toughest opponent the Lady Raiders have faced this season.
Offensively, the Rockets are led by guards Quinesha Lockett and Sophia Wiard. Lockett leads the team with an astounding 18.1 points per game average on a .403 clip from the field. Her three-point shooting leaves for more to be desired at .290, but her teammates fill the void. Wiard leads the team with 4.7 assists per game and is 13th in the nation in assists per turnover average at 2.61.
The defense is 105th in the nation but the Rockets are near last in turnovers forced in the nation in 329th. Lockett provides on the defensive side also, racking up 1.8 steals per game to lead the team. The 6'5" center, Hannah Noversoke, plays close to 11 minutes per game but is still able to average at least one block in those minutes. The guard/forward Sammi Mikonowicz leads the team in rebounds per game and defensive rpg with 7.5 and 6.0 respectively.
Last time out, the Rockets topped Marquette on the road 92-82. The game was capped off with a 22-8 fourth quarter that included Lockett scoring 22 of her career-high 37 points in it. Wiard had an efficient 20-point 8-of-9 game that also included six assists on one turnover.
The Lady Raiders and Rockets will have their first matchup ever on Monday, March 28.
Last Time Out – March 24 vs. Vanderbilt – (W, 55-53) RECAP
Malashka finished the night with 12 points, four rebounds, and four blocks, none bigger than the one on Jordyn Cambridge on the Commodores' last possession, giving MT a 55-53 lead they would not relinquish in their fourth-round win over Vanderbilt in front of 3,022 fans at the Murphy Center on Thursday night.
Dor Saar came up big in the second half, scoring 11 of her 13 points in the final 20 minutes of the game, three of which came from beyond the arc, and none bigger than the dagger to end the third quarter that put MT up 43-41 going into the final frame. With her trio of triples on Thursday night, Saar has now made 83 threes this season, tied for the sixth-most in a single season in Middle Tennessee history with Jackie Pickel's 2009-10 campaign.
Courtney Whitson played all 40 minutes on Thursday, scoring nine points, while Jalynn Gregory hit a pair of threes en route to finishing with eight points and five rebounds. Alexis Whittington was her usual scrappy self on defense, leading the team with six rebounds while also contributing seven points on the offensive end. Whittington and Saar tied for the team lead with three steals.
Follow Along on Game Day
Watch on ESPN3.
Follow for live tweets throughout the game @MT_WBB.
Audio will be available on WGNS 1450 AM, 100.5 FM, 101.9 FM, or at GoBlueRaiders.com/Watch.
